Tree House Secret
by Doyle'sangel
Summary: Sharpay Evans loved to camp.Chad Danforth loved to hike. They were twelve the first time they ran into each other in the woods. After a four-hour fight they both accepted the fact that they had the same favorite spot and it became a ritual.


Sharpay Evans loved to camp. Yes I know, who would've guessed that hot pink and stilettos would don sneakers and jeans? Yet it was true, Sharpay spent most of her weekends in the woods.

Chad Danforth loved to hike. Not that hard to believe but he loved hiking more than basketball. There was nothing like the woods and a backpack. So Chad spent most of his weekends in the woods.

They were twelve the first time they ran into each other in the woods. Chad's Dad was drunk and Sharpay's parents were out of town again. Thus they both escaped to their haven and found an enemy had invaded. After a four-hour fight they both accepted the fact that they had the same favorite spot. It became a ritual, every Saturday morning they both would sneak off not to return until Sunday afternoon. They never spoke about it at school but in their secret world everything was different. Their spot was actually a mile onto Evans' property. When they were fourteen they had built a cabin there. A rainstorm tore it down a week later and they tried again. This time they bought a book and proper materials. Plus they built it in a tree, it still stood only now it had another story and two more rooms built in nearby trees connected by a rope bridge. The main room was a living room of sorts furnished by a chair and a shelf Chad made for Shop freshman year. Adorning the chair was a pillow Sharpay had made for Home EC class and paintings they both had done in Art class over the years hung on the walls. The drapes that hung on the only window (it had glass only because Sharpay insisted) was pink and red checks. It had been a compromise so that their fantasy world wouldn't fall apart but the next weekend Chad had come out to a rug and a blanket that matched. Both had clearly been made by Sharpay, his only thanks had been to bring a picture frame of the same pattern (again made in shop) with a picture of them out there in it. The frame and picture now adorned the shelf alongside a fossil they had found when they were thirteen and an arrowhead they had found the same weekend. A stump that had been dug out of the ground one back breaking weekend and polished up served as a side table and a second chair Chad had made using the skills he'd learned to make the first one completed the room.

Going out the "back door" and climbing up the tree was the only way you could access the second story. The only thing that ever adorned this room was a deer skin rug that Sharpay had made out Chad's first deer for him. Whoever arrived first was in charge of grabbing it from the main room and rolling it out. The top story had no roof and had branches cut away so you had a clear view of the night sky. On clear Saturday nights the two of them would go up there and point out constellations and talk about their lives.

To the left across a rope bridge that Sharpay had refused to step foot on for a month and threatened Chad with death if she fell the first time she finally did cross was a kitchen of sorts. Chad had poured concrete to make a useable fire pit in one corner and a table with chairs sat in the center. A blue tablecloth with snow flakes on it that had been Sharpay's Christmas Home EC project covered it. After Chad had told Sharpay that he liked the tablecloth and they should keep it she insisted they make it the theme of the room. So in true Sharpay fashion the next weekend she'd brought two blue canvasses and white paper and they each made a snow flake to paste to the canvasses. The pictures now hung on the wall with a black signature ("Just like real artists.") in the corner to signify who each belonged to. At first Chad had scoffed at they idea and although it did not lead to fight he could tell he had hurt Sharpay's feelings. As an apology he'd brought a cabinet to store their kitchen stuff in three weeks later. He had painted it blue with a white snowflake on top. Sharpay deemed it cute and he knew his apology had been accepted.

The right room was the bedroom of sorts. They'd agreed that sleeping in anything but their sleeping bags was sacrilegious so they only things that decorated this room was two sleeping bags and more Chad made shelves with an assortment of things they had found and deemed worthy to keep through out the years. The only pictures in here were 8X10's of them growing up. It had become a tradition to take an end of summer picture together to develop and put on the wall.

Not that summer's end stopped them from coming every weekend. In the winter if it got to cold they would keep the kitchen stove burning and sleep in there. So through the years Chad and Sharpay had created a small paradise for themselves, which brings us to the last weekend of summer before their senior year.

"Two weeks in a row? I would dump your ass." Sharpay hit Chad's chest lightly. They were lying in the observatory star gazing and talking.

Chad laughed and caught her hand. He ran his fingers up the length as her arm and danced them lightly across her shoulder. When they had become more than friends was hazy in both their memories although the cold winter night they had become lovers was burned into their brains forever. Lifting his hand up he drifted down and settled it on her hip. He could feel her body heat through the light blue sheet that covered them. If it was anyone else anywhere else they would feel horribly guilty for cheating on Zeeke and Taylor but here they were different people. They even went so far as to call each other different names, Chad was Dan and Sharpay was Pay. "I know but sometimes Taylor makes me feel like a I can't breath. I needed some space. I'll get her flowers or something to take to school on Monday with a big apology."

Sharpay looked up at him with a small frown, "Have you ever thought about not dating her then?"

Chad sighed he knew where this was going, "Have you ever thought about not chasing Troy?" ha challenged back.

"Yes," Sharpay said so decisively that he had to look at her, "I'm done with it. He and Gabby can be happy, I don't want Bolton anymore."

"What changed?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him and smiled sadly, "I fell in love and decided I didn't want to only be in loved on the weekends." She twisted and grabbed her robe. She slipped it on the climbed down out of the observatory.

Chad sat and looked up at the stars with a sigh. He'd considered letting their secret love out a million times but each time they chickened out. He knew that if they didn't do something soon they'd lose each other. He knew it was obvious that they belonged together. They'd already built a house together and learned to compromise. He knew she talked in her sleep and she knew that he ate with his mouth open. He knew she paced when she was angry and she knew he exercised when he was sad. He knew she secretly listened to country music and she knew his real favorite movie was Beauty and the Beast. He got to his feet and climbed down into the main room. When he found it vacant he made his way to the kitchen where the only light was illuminating. When he got there she was making a turkey sandwich. "Want one?" she asked and he knew that was her way of saying that she wouldn't push the subject. She planned on keeping their secret she just was tired of pretending not to care for him.

"Would you break up with Zeeke?" he asked.

She stopped making the sandwich and looked up at him, "In a heart beat."

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "It won't be easy."

"Living with each other every weekend wasn't easy in the beginning either." She reminded him gently.

"They're gonna wanna know how."

"We'll make it up."

"What will we say?"

"I don't know…" she looked up at him with uncertainly in her eyes for the first time since he's brought the subject back up.

"How about bug off?"

"Would Troy be okay with that?"

"Would Ryan?"

"Point proven."

"I can say none of your business if you can."

"You don't have to live with Troy."

"So tell Ryan, of everyone he'd care least about the truth."

"I don't think he'd tell anyone. You can't tell Troy the truth?"

"I could but then he'd have to tell Gabby eventually and she would care. You know that whole sex thing."

"So don't tell them we've had sex. Let them think it was friendship up till now."

"So, Sharpay Evans will you be my girlfriend out side of Treetopia?"

"Treetopia? Could you get cheesier?"

"Shut up and answer my question."

"How can I answer a question if I shut up?"

"Sharpay…"

"Okay, Okay, sorry I'm messing with the sweetness of the moment. Ask again."

"Why?"

"Because that why I can answer the way I was suppose to."

"Fine, Will you Sharpay Evans be my girlfriend outside of Treetopia?"

"You sound like your proposing. Okay, Yes Chad I will be your girlfriend outside of Treetopia…as soon as you break up with Taylor."

"I swear you haven't got a romantic bone in your body."

"Isn't the girl suppose to say that to they guy?"

"You'd better be glad I love you or I'd bury your body out here."

"I love you to baby."

**So should I make this a story or leave it at that? I know it's cheesy and they live in the desert and Senior Year didn't go that way at all but it was bursting to get out. Why? I have no idea.**


End file.
